Diwali/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are at a traditional Hindu festival called Diwali. The celebration is outdoors. Several fair booths and tents are set up, offering goods and services. Many, including Moby, are dressed in traditional Indian clothing. Moby walks up to Tim, who is seated at a booth. TIM: Hey, nice duds, Moby. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Me? Just getting some temporary ink. A Hindu woman is drawing tattoos of a style called henna on the backs of Tim's hands. Tim shows Moby the back of one of his hands. MOBY: Beep. Moby covers his mouth and laughs. Tim looks annoyed. TIM: Henna is not just for girls. Moby hands Tim a typed letter. Tim reads from it. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, What is Diwali? From, Neha. TIM: Guess what? We're sitting in the middle of a Diwali celebration right now. It's one of the most festive holidays on the Hindu calendar. An image shows the Hindu "om" symbol, which symbolizes the creation of the universe. TIM: It's also celebrated by followers of Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism, and it— MOBY: Beep. Symbols from Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism appear with the Hindu "om" symbol. Moby interrupts Tim. TIM: Hinduism? Oh, that's the third-largest religion in the world. There are more than nine hundred million Hindus living on the Indian subcontinent. An image shows a political map of India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Myanmar. TIM: For Hindus, Diwali is a time to get together with family, eat delicious food, and practice some fascinating rituals and customs. Images show an extended Hindu family, several types of Indian food, and three small burning clay lamps set in a row. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah. It's also called Divali or Dipawali, depending on where you're from. But all of the names translate to the same thing in English: row of lamps, which describes the holiday's main custom. TIM: People fill their homes with lamps made of clay. The lamps symbolize knowledge, goodness, and the triumph of light over darkness. That's why Diwali is also called the Festival of Lights. An animation shows several small clay lamps burning. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Nope, Diwali lasts for five days. On a Hindu calendar, it starts on the new moon of the last month of the year and it ends on the second day of the new year. On the Western calendar, those dates fall in October or November. An animation illustrates the Diwali period as Tim describes, using a circular chart. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, Diwali actually celebrates a whole bunch of different things. As I mentioned before, it's observed by several religions. But even within any one religion, people may have many reasons to celebrate. For Hindus, the central theme behind the holiday is that all people have an inner light, or soul, and the lamps represent that inner light. An image shows three human silhouettes looking at a star-filled sky. A soft glow, symbolizing a soul, appears within each silhouette. TIM: But Diwali also marks the end of the harvest season and the start of the planting season. An animation shows Indian farm workers planting a crop by hand. TIM: Farmers give thanks for the past year's crops and look forward to another successful harvest in the coming year. Plus, Diwali has a special place in Hindu mythology. The holiday commemorates the legend of the return of an ancient king named Rama. An image shows King Rama. He is young and muscular and blue-skinned. He holds a bow in one hand and an arrow in another. There are more arrows in a quiver on his back. TIM: He was no ordinary guy. In fact, he was the god Vishnu in human form. An image shows the Hindu god Vishnu. He has blue skin and a halo. He also has four arms. Three hands hold sacred objects, a ring, a seashell, and a mace. TIM: According to the legend, Rama defeated Ravana, an evil king with ten heads, during a long absence from his kingdom. An image shows Rama shooting an arrow at Ravana, who is much taller and is holding a knife in each hand. TIM: When he returned to the capital city, the people welcomed him home by lighting rows of lamps. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Rama's victory over Ravana represents the triumph of good over evil. But Diwali celebrates other figures from Hindu mythology, too. Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, is worshiped to ensure financial success throughout the year. And Kali, the goddess of strength, is worshiped to protect against laziness and hardship. Images appear of Lakshmi and Kali. Both have halos, are dressed in royal clothes. Lakshmi has four arms, while Kali has eight. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah. Lighting fireworks is another popular Diwali custom. An animation shows a fireworks display in a night sky. TIM: Festive meals are prepared, and family and friends exchange gifts and sweet foods. Images show prepared dishes, candy, and oranges. TIM: Homes are cleaned from top to bottom, and many people wear new clothes to signify the renewal of life. Business owners settle old debts and open new account books to symbolize the removal of anger and jealousy from their lives. There's even a tradition of playing gambling games like dice and cards in order to ensure good luck for the coming year. An animation shows playing cards and a pair of dice. TIM: Oh, and many towns and villages hold melas, or fairs, like this one. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, there are a lot of customs. Since Diwali is observed in many different places, each region has its own unique way of celebrating. But the main themes of Diwali are pretty much the same everywhere: the renewal of life and the triumph of light over darkness. Cool. Tim's henna hand tattoos are finished. He examines them and holds up his hands. TIM: Uh, if you think I'm paying for that… Tim looks over at Moby. Moby now has similar henna designs drawn on his head and neck.Category:BrainPOP Transcripts